


Smile

by Mimikk



Category: 2P Hetalia - Fandom, Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: 2P Hetalia, AU, Brother Complex, Crazy!Lovi, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Oneshot, minor gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-06-01 13:26:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6521614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimikk/pseuds/Mimikk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The mirror world (home of the 2P nations) has been destroyed, and the 2Ps have escaped into the real world. With Flavio stuck and presumably dead in the collapsed mirror world, Luciano has vowed to take over this world and somehow rebuild his home world so he can return to his brother. Meanwhile, Luciano has taken Lovino captive as his replacement brother, locking him away in solitary confinement and forcing the role of Flavio onto the 1P Romano. The darkness and solitude have taken a toll on Lovino's sanity...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smile

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys! mimikk here c: so this is an au that an rp partner and i have come up with, and this is just one scene from a VERY complicated plot. im just putting this out here, testing out the waters to see if people would be interested in a death heavy, kinda headcanon-y, 1P vs 2P fic. i'd also be happy to answer any and all questions about the plot if u guys are interested! please leave a comment if you wanna see more of his plot. who knows? maybe i'll write out the whole thing for you guys!
> 
> grazie mille <3  
> mimikk
> 
> ps. my apologies for how lovi's thoughts are kinda jumbled in this! i tried to portray how loopy he's going, buuut it may have ended up a bit confusing telling what's a hallucination and what isnt xD  
> pss. in my headcanon, marino is luci's nickname for flavi, which would be explained if i wrote out the full plot =w=  
> ...psss. lovi doesnt talk and coughs up the blood bc of some torture that happened prior to this scene...which i wont spoil just in case i get the chance to write more of this plot!

     It was cold, and it was dark. His joints felt frozen, despite the layers of clothing he wore. The aching in his body was no doubt due to the ever-present shackles on his wrists and ankles. His throat was so dry that it stung with each breath, and no amount of swallowed saliva seemed to help. That constant ringing pierced his ears, accompanied only by the sound of his own pounding heart. He never seemed to be able to calm down as of late. He was jumpy and anxious almost constantly, alone in that silent room with no windows. He didn't know what time was anymore. Sometimes he would sleep for what felt like days; other times he would remain awake, staring into the darkness for hours on end. How long had he been there? How long had it been since he'd been able to move freely? At the moment, he sat at the length of his chains, which was only a meter from their anchor in the center of the room. He couldn't touch the walls. He had nothing to lean on. His world—his dark, never-ending world—was confined to that room. His world was lonely. His world was silent. His world was colorless. Well, no. That wasn't true. There was something that sometimes entered his world, shattering the serenity and solitude. It was a monster, a terrible being. It intruded his territory and made his mind ache. It was a reminder of his past, a past he could no longer recall on his own.

    Footsteps. He now heard footsteps from somewhere outside his little world. The sound was a joy to his ears. Something to break the mind-numbing silence. So rhythmic, so comforting, so familiar. He wanted to reach out and embrace the noise, grasp it with both hands. But he remained perfectly still, only listening, only waiting.

      _U_ _no, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci..._  There were ten steps, which he counted carefully. When the footsteps paused, he held his breath in anticipation. Where would it be from this time? His left, his right? Before him or behind? Perhaps it would be from above this time. What fun to guess from what direction the intruder would come! Hours seemed to pass in the dead silence once more. He felt himself tremble, but was it from cold or excitement?  _Come in!_ he wanted to scream to beckon in the creature from beyond his darkness. Still, his body remained motionless.

    Eventually, there was more sound. It was louder this time, and even more familiar. A heavy creak followed by the sound of metal scraping against stone. The sound was grating and cacophonous, but it brought him a thrill. The muscles in his ears tensed uncomfortably, as if trying to pick up the echoing sound better, despite it resonating all around him. Even better, with the sound came a stream of light, spanning slowly from one side of the room to the other. His eyes ached as light filled his world, but he tried his best not to blink or squint. Who knew how long it would be before the light came again? After a few moments, his eyes adjusted, and he could see the shape of his shadow, crawling over the chains that bound him to the floor. Behind him, then. The sun was rising from behind him.

    " _Ciao, fratello._ "

    A voice. What music! It was deep and sultry, echoing all around the room despite its soft volume. So lovely. The prisoner wanted more. He remained absolutely frozen, staring forward, despite so desperately wanting to turn and face the light. Instead, only his eyes moved. His gaze shifted down, settling on his own hands. They were clad in sleek black gloves, but they were numb to the point that he couldn't move his fingers properly. At his wrists were the thick silver shackles, clamped over the long sleeves of a pristine white coat. He remembered that the shackles used to rub against his wrists. He was thankful for his coat for protecting the raw skin there.

    "How are you feeling today?"

    The footsteps resumed, and another shadow joined his, though this one was moving. It was getting closer, spanning out far beyond his own and up onto the wall ahead of him. Five steps was all it took for the shadow to form into a solid shape beside him. He flinched when the shape lowered itself to the floor to mimic his sitting position (on his knees, hands in his lap, feet tucked beneath his body).

    "...you aren't still mad at me, are you?"

    The prisoner didn't respond, and the intruder fell silent for a few long moments. He could see the intruder out of the corner of his eye. He wore black clothes, just like his shadow. A few spots on his clothes glinted in the sunlight. A bright color made up the eyes that stared at him, though he couldn't name it exactly. The intruder shifted, reaching out an arm-like tendril towards the prisoner. The muscles in his arm seized up violently when he was grabbed, and his mouth forced itself open in a shocked gasp.  _Don't touch me. Get away from me._

    "Oh, come now, Marino... Won't you show me that pretty face of yours? I've been lonely, so I came here especially to see you, _melodia mia_."

    The hand removed itself from his arm, only to reattach a moment later to his cheek. He had no strength to fight the hand guiding his head to the side to face the intruder. The hand was smooth and soft. It emitted a warmth that he had forgotten about. His tired eyes slowly shut and he pressed his face against the hand, inhaling deeply as if to get some of the heat inside his lungs. A soft chuckle came from the intruder as he caressed the prisoner's face with his thumb. The prisoner wanted to wrap himself in the warmth. He never wanted it to leave. Perhaps if he could just sleep with the sun, then...

    "Nuh uh uh... Don't go to sleep. Open your eyes. Give me a smile, won't you?"

    The voice was chiding him now. He didn't want to open his eyes. He wanted to rest there in the light with the warmth. But something deep inside his chest urged him to obey this intruder, this bringer of light, this untouchable deity. So he did. Heavy eyelids reluctantly opened to reveal a familiar face watching him. The face looked hollow, void of all life. The colorful eyes stared pointedly at him. It was frightening. He wanted to get away. He wanted to kick and punch and shove to get the nightmare creature away from him. But he didn't. He just followed his orders, forcing the muscles in his cheeks to contract to pull up the corners of his lips. His dry, cracked lips stretched uncomfortably. His facial muscles trembled from the simple request. It hurt.

    "Bigger, _caro_ _._ "

    The hand moved from his cheek to brush his hair from his face, tucking it back behind his ear. Again, the prisoner obeyed, pulling the muscles tighter for a wider smile. The pain increased and he felt his eyes begin to sting. Pain.  _Stop_. It had been so long since he had felt something so strongly.  _It hurts_. He smiled wider, savoring the warmth being produced from his working muscles and his burning eyes. The sensation was incredibly refreshing.  _Please_. The intruder stared at him as he felt tears run down his cheeks, leaving frozen trails in their wake. His bottom lip began stinging, and the taste of metal crept onto his tongue. Had his chapped lips been unable to smile as widely as he'd wanted them to? No matter. It would give him something to taste until it healed over. Something to occupy his hours with. The intruder seemed pleased at least, for he leaned forward to press soft, warm lips to the prisoner's forehead in a gentle kiss. Now both of the intruder's hands cupped the prisoner's cheeks, thumbs tenderly wiping away the tear stains.

    "There we are.. _._ You're such a good  _fratellone_. Such a pretty smile. Not like that grumpy Lovino."

    The prisoner's smile began to fade. Lovino. _Lovino_. Where had he heard that name before? It was so familiar, just on the tip of his tongue. His eyes stared at his captor's, and in a moment of desperation he opened his mouth. When he tried to speak, however, only a raspy breath came out, and pain shot through his throat. He grimaced and jerked away from the intruder, grasping at his throat with frozen hands, ripping off the delicate scarf he found tied around his neck. He began coughing, unable to handle the ripping sensation deep in his throat. In no time at all he could taste iron, and drops of red spattered down onto his white lap and the floor. This seemed to anger the intruder, for suddenly the prisoner's mouth was clamped shut with a hand. The prisoner's eyes immediately welled with tears, finding it difficult to breathe through his nose with his throat burning so badly.

    "What are you doing, Marino?" came the intruder's voice, now in a harsh whisper that wasn't melodic or gentle at all. "You're going to hurt yourself if you keep coughing like that. And look at that... You've got blood on yourself. You _hate_  that, don't you? And it's all your fault, isn't it? You aren't setting a good example for your _fratellino_."

    Guilt piled up in the prisoner's—he supposed his name really was Marino, since that's what he was being called—chest, and he tried to calm his coughing. No. He wanted to set a good example for his little brother. He had to be perfect for his _fratellino_. Once he got his breathing under control, the intruder slowly released him. _Marino_  shuddered as he caught his breath, reluctantly releasing his aching throat. He felt as if his larynx had been ripped to shreds, but he didn't want to let the pain show. Be a good big brother. Quietly, he used his gloved hands to wipe his mouth, then his eyes—

    "Let me do it."

    His actions stopped when the intruder grabbed his wrists. Marino painfully swallowed and settled his hands down in his lap, reluctantly inspecting the bloody mess he'd made on himself. Meanwhile, the intruder tenderly wiped the tears from Marino's eyes, then any remnants of blood from his lips and chin. The prisoner lifted his eyes to meet his intruder's, and the intruder sighed softly. Gloved fingers tenderly traced Marino's now-clean lips.

    "I miss you..." said the intruder softly. "I'm going to get you soon. I promise." He watched Marino's face wistfully, before his lips were pulled up into a crooked smile that sent shivers down the poor prisoner's spine. "Just like you said... All I have to do is smile."


End file.
